Stewardship of Warm Mineral Springs Park
Archaeological site
Beneath the depths of Warm Mineral Springs Park is one of the most important underwater archeological sites in America.
It is believed that Warm Mineral Springs Park dates back to the Ice Age. During exploratory dives in the 1950s, the remains of a prehistoric hunter and seven other humans were discovered in a very well preserved state. Similarly, evidence of several creatures have been extracted from the spring, including saber tooth tigers, giant sloths, tortoises, and even camels. The Springs has been added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Due to the Spring’s archeological sensitivity, diving is not allowed. Even slight disturbances can threaten the preservation of historical artifacts.
Studies
USGS monitoring station at Warm Mineral Springs Park
In December 2017, staff from the US Geological Survey (USGS), Caribbean-Florida Water Science Center, started a project to install a monitoring station at Warm Mineral Springs Park. The purpose of the monitoring station was to quantify flows from the Spring and record water-quality parameters every 15 minutes.
View the USGS Data Collected from the Springs.
The USGS currently operates more than 8,100 stream gages across the nation with a mission to collect and disseminate reliable, impartial, and timely information that is needed to understand the nation’s water resources. The USGS and Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) worked in cooperation to provide funding for the gage installation and maintenance. There is no expense for the City of North Port.
Continuous monitoring of hydrologic characteristics is intended to provide valuable information to water-resource professionals to better understand and sustainably manage Warm Mineral Springs.
Water Quality
The City of North Port takes water quality and public safety very seriously. Testing of the Springs water is conducted monthly by a certified vendor, specifically monitoring for Fecal Coliform using the Most Probable Number (MPN) method. Although the State of Florida does not currently require testing of the Springs' water, we have implemented this practice as a proactive measure to maintain the highest standards of environmental stewardship. If test results were to exceed the thresholds established by the Florida Department of Health for recreational water, standards typically applied to beaches, we would adhere to those same guidelines. This could include temporarily closing the Spring until bacterial levels return to within acceptable limits.
One of the natural advantages of the Springs is its high, water turnover rate which contributes to maintaining fresh and clean water conditions through the year. Despite this, filamentous algae often occurs along the surface of the recreational swimming area and is particularly prevalent during the summer months when seasonal rains carry additional nutrient loads into the water. This naturally occurring algae can emit an unpleasant earthy or musk like odor. To help stem algae growth, and in consultation with experts at the University of Florida Institute of Food & Agricultural Services, manual removal of the algae has been identified as a low impact, non-chemical treatment option. This practice is implemented by staff on a quarterly basis. Additionally, staff conduct regular cleanings of the Springs outflow within the Warm Mineral Springs Park property to address debris removal and hand trim grasses to promote healthy growth and maintain flow.